


Oliver Queen: Agent of SHIELD Book one

by Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen



Series: SHIELD finds Oliver [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Arrow (TV 2012), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Origin Story, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2020-01-16 00:19:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18510088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen/pseuds/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen
Summary: In one world, it was Argus that picked Oliver up from the wreckage of The Amazo. In another, it was SHIELD. How many things change because of one difference? Read to find out.





	1. Waking up

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is an idea I’ve had for a while and I just wanted to get it out of my head so I could focus on other things. If you hate it or lie it, tell me in the comments and if you think I should continue it.

Hong Kong  
Morning

Oliver Queen opened his eyes, his last memory being of The Amazo coming down around him and Slade Wilson. So he was extremely confused when he saw he was in some room he didn’t recognize. As he sat up, a voice spoke up near the doorway.

“Good, you’re awake.” 

Oliver nearly jumped, looking over to see a man with short dark hair, Caucasian skin and blue eyes in his late thirties to early forties standing in the doorway. He was wearing a suit and had a friendly smile on his face.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” the man apologized.

“Who the hell are you? Where am I?” Oliver demanded his mind racing as he looked for a way out.

“I’m Phil Coulson. Don’t worry, you’re not in danger,” Colson said but Oliver didn’t relax. “Here, some clothes. You should get dressed; the boss wants to meet you.”

Coulson laid out some clothes for him and left. Oliver stared after him suspiciously. Coulson seemed friendly enough, but then again, Fryers hadn’t seemed like a psychopath either at first. In any case, Oliver decided to play along for now. At least until he could figure out what was going on.

Oliver got dressed and walked out the room, finding Coulson waiting by the door.

“Thanks, you just won me ten bucks,” Coulson said and Oliver was confused. “The other guys thought you’d make a run for it. Come on.”

Coulson led Oliver out of the building they were in and onto the street. Two men in suits were waiting for them, standing guard by a red 1962 Chevrolet Corvette. Upon seeing them, one of the men grumbled before pulling out ten American dollars, handing it to Coulson as he and Oliver neared.

“Thank you,” Coulson said cheerfully as he pocketed the money, opening the door to the driver’s side. “Get in Oliver. We need to go.”

Oliver was not surprised they knew who he was. They clearly rescued him from the wreckage of the Amazo for a reason.

“Where are we?” Oliver asked as he opened the passenger’s door, getting inside.

“Hong Kong. Took you a little longer to get here, but you finally made it, huh Oliver?” Coulson said cheerfully.

Oliver didn’t respond, simply looking around with an unreadable expression. If Coulson had asked him how he felt at that moment, Oliver wasn’t sure he could give him an honest answer. He wasn’t sure how he was feeling anyway. He was still processing everything that had happened with Slade.

Coulson drove off, and the ride was silent, Coulson was obviously giving him time to process his own thoughts. They drove for about five minutes through town before Coulson turned into a tunnel with a sign that had Chinese writing on it. Oliver had a feeling they shouldn’t be here. He was about to say so when the car began turning at an angle he knew wasn’t possible in this tunnel. He looked over and saw Coulson wasn’t moving the steering wheel.

“Hang on tight. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride,” Coulson said with a smile. 

Before Oliver ask what he meant, the car was suddenly began moving down fast, at a speed that Oliver found best comparable to rollercoasters. Oliver let out a scream of panic and Coulson had the gall to laugh before they stopped. Oliver got out of the car, collapsing onto his knees and vomiting. When he looked up, he stared in shock. 

It looked like they were in some sort of military base. People in uniforms were walking around, working on things Oliver didn’t understand. There were vehicles, cars and trucks and planes with the symbol of an eagle on the side. On the wall was that same symbol with words under it.

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division?” Oliver read.

“We prefer SHIELD,” Coulson told him as he got of the car. “Come on, time to see the boss.”

Oliver was then led down a hall into a room with a man in a desk. The man was in a chair that was turned away from them, Oliver could only see the outline of the man.

“Sir, Oliver Queen, as you requested,” Coulson said and the man stood up out of the chair, giving Oliver a good look at him.

He was a black man in his early to late thirties, maybe older. He was dressed in a black trench coat, black boots, and black pants. He was bald, had one brown eye, and had an eye patch covering the other eye. Oliver got the feeling this was not a man you wanted to mess with.

“Oliver, meet Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD,” Coulson introduced.

“Oliver Queen, nice to finally meet you,” Fury said as he walked over to Oliver, holding out a hand.

Cautiously, Oliver took it in hand shake, eying Fury carefully.

“What do you want from me?” Oliver asked cautiously. 

“Straight to the point huh? I like that about you,’ Fury said as they dropped hands. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you since you shipwrecked on Lian Yu. Your work with Fryers was impressive.”

“I barely even did anything,” Oliver protested.

“Maybe, but that can’t be said about the Freighter, can it?” Fury said and Oliver started.

“Wait, you saw that?” Oliver exclaimed and Fury nodded.

“We were sending on extraction team to get you all out of there, but you beat us to it. I’m sorry about Sara Lance,” Fury said and Oliver fought the wave of grief that hit him.

“What do you want from me?” Oliver almost growled.

“We want your help Oliver,” Coulson said, to Oliver’s surprise.

“Ferris Air flight 637,” Fury said and Oliver stiffened. “It’s the flight Edward Fryers was planning on blowing out of the sky.”

“I know, what about it?” Oliver demanded.

“Fryers was hired by a rogue government official who has since been disavowed,” Coulson said, taking Oliver back.

“She wanted Fryers to kill someone on that plane, and she was willing to kill everyone on it to do so,” Fury said.

“Who would this crazy government official want to kill so bad she’d want to kill an entire plane full of people?” Oliver asked in shock. 

In response, Fury pressed a button and Oliver nearly jumped as a holographic screen appeared in front of him, showing an Asian woman in her late twenties or early thirties with white hair.

“This woman, Chien Na Wei, also known as China White. She’s the top paid assassin of the Chinese Triad. She’s here, in Hong Kong. We’d like you to help us find out why and help stop her,” Coulson said.

“Why me?” Oliver asked suspiciously.

“Your particular skill set could be an asset to stop her. In exchange, once we catch her, we’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” Fury said and Oliver perked up.

“Anywhere?” Oliver asked, thinking longingly of Starling City as Fury nodded.

“Even back home to Starling City. What do you Oliver?” Fury asked and Oliver was silent for a moment.

“What do you need me to do?” Oliver asked.


	2. Meeting the mentors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver is introduced to two people who will change his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been a while since I updated. I planned to update a few weeks ago but the season finale of Arrow, well, it depressed me so much I couldn’t really write anything for Arrow for a bit. I’m getting back into the swing of things now, so next update hopefully won’t be take so long.

Hong Kong, SHIELD base  
Late morning

Oliver let Coulson lead him through the base, looking around in almost awe. This base was pretty cool, Oliver thought to himself. The technology looked like something out of Star Wars at times. Although he was a little bugged by everyone staring at him.

“Sorry about the stares,” Coulson said as he noticed Oliver’s discomfort and the reason for it. “But come on, billionaire stranded on a deserted island gets recruited by SHIELD? You’re the next Iron Man.”

“Iron what?” Oliver asked confused.

“Right, you were on a deserted island for two years. Don’t worry; we’ll catch you up,” Coulson said as he led Oliver into a room where a dark haired man with a bow was shooting. “In the meantime, let’s meet your SO.”

“SO?” Oliver repeated.

“Supervising officer,” the dark haired man said as he lowered his bow, turning around and walking over to them. “I’ll be in charge of your training while you’re with SHIELD. I’ll also be your leader while we’re in the field. Name’s Clint, Clint Barton.”

“Oliver Queen,” Oliver said wearily, eying Clint uneasily.

“Well, I have some work to do. Oliver, I leave you in good hands,” Coulson said with a reassuring smile that didn’t reassure Oliver in the slightest. 

As Coulson left, Clint noticed that Oliver was looking around the room, highly alert, as if looking for escape points. Clint remembered another new operative who had similarly been on guard constantly within the first few months. Well, he’d been successful before; let’s see if he could do it again.

“Okay, so, I hear you like archery,” Clint said, walking over to a table and picking up a bag before tossing it at Oliver’s feet. “Let’s see what you got kid.”

Oliver cautiously knelt down and opened the back. He was stunned to find his bow, quiver, and Shado’s hood inside.

“Fury had your stuff salvaged from the wreck,” Clint explained. “I need to see how good you are.”

“What does any of this have to do with catching China White?” Oliver demanded as he looked up at Clint.

“Kid, taking down China White and the Triad isn’t gonna be easy. You’re good, but nowhere near good enough to handle the Triad. We’re making sure you are. So, I need to know what I’m working with,” Clint pointed at the three targets at the other end of the room. “Try and shoot them, dead center, from here.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow but shrugged before pulling his bow out along with an arrow. Notching it, he fired, getting the target in the center. However, that was the only target he got in the center. The other arrows Oliver fired missed the center, to Oliver’s frustration and embarrassment. 

“Not bad,” Clint noted, more pleased than he expected. “I expected you to miss all of them. You’re better than I expected. We’ll work on your accuracy. For how long you’ve been doing this, I’m impressed.”

“So what now?” Oliver asked and was a little unnerved by the smirk that appeared on Clint’s face.

“Now you get to work on your fighting skills. How long you been there?” Clint suddenly asked confusing Oliver.

“Long enough,” Oliver jumped at the voice that spoke up behind them, whirling around to see a red haired woman dressed in a black jump suit walking in. “He’s got promise in archery. Let’s see how he fights.”

“Oliver, this is Natasha Romanoff, my partner. She’ll be your teaching you how to fight,” Clint explained.

“Can’t handle teaching me how to fight?” Oliver joked and Clint laughed.

“Trust me kid, by the time she’s done with you, you’ll wish it had been me who taught you how to fight,” Clint said gleefully.

That did not fill Oliver with warm fuzzies. Neither did the predatory smirk that crossed Natasha’s face.

“I need to see what I’m working with. Come at me, try to hit me here,” Natasha said, gesturing to her left cheek.

Oliver doubted it would be that easy, which was confirmed by the amused smirk on Clint’s face. Nevertheless, Oliver rushed Natasha, intending on striking her. Next thing Oliver knew, he was on his back, Natasha’s foot on his chest as she smirked down at him.

“That all you got? Come at me with everything you have,” Natasha goaded him.

Getting angry, Oliver pushed her foot off him and lunged for her. Natasha grabbed him and tossed him onto the ground, jumping on top of him and pinning his arms behind his back.

“You can’t let your anger make you react in a situation. You’ll get yourself killed that way,” Natasha told him.

Fed up, Oliver pushed all his strength into his back elbow. He briefly broke Natasha’s hold on him and slammed his elbow into her left cheek. Natasha was thrown back, holding her cheek, more surprised than hurt.

“Or I could trap the enemy when they think they’ve got me trapped,” Oliver said a hint of smugness entering his voice.

It was earned, Natasha admitted. His method had been unorthodox, but he had done as she asked. And displayed a knack for planning and thinking ahead while doing so.

Judging from the thoughtful look on Clint’s face, he agreed. Oliver’s fighting skills still left a lot to be desired, but the foundations for someone who could rival them were there, along with the mind of a cunning warrior. 

And when they were done with him, Oliver would have the skills to match his strategic mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is rather short, next chapter will be longer.


	3. First assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver is given his first assignment in the mission to stop China White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Father’s Day everyone!

A few weeks had passed since Oliver had arrived in Hong Kong. Since then, he had been training with Clint and Natasha rather ruthlessly. Oliver had thought Slade had been a harsh teacher. If Slade was harsh, Natasha was downright ruthless. Most days, Oliver had to crawl (literally) into bed and he collapsed into a sleep of nightmares the moment his head hit the pillow.

Clint seemed to get some sick kick out of seeing Oliver’s torment at Natasha’s hands. Although he was much easier on Oliver at training, which was the only reason Oliver didn’t outright despise Clint. Clint was clearly a far better archer than Shado or Yao-Fei had been. Although sometimes, Oliver would catch him sneaking off to sneak calls. Who Clint would be calling, Oliver didn’t know.

The only consolation that Oliver had was that his skill as both an archer and a fighter were improving leaps and bounds. He was no Shado or Slade, but he was getting there.

Which was how Oliver found himself on his first mission as an Agent of SHIELD. 

Hong Kong, Market  
Late morning

“How it looking down there kid?” Clint asked Oliver over the Comms as Oliver stood in the market, attempting to blend in.

“Nothing yet. Why am I on the street again?” Oliver wondered.

“Natasha and I both have…reputations with the Triad. We’ll get spotted a mile away,” Clint said.

“As opposed to the American,” Oliver said dryly.

“SHIELD hasn’t been able to track China White because she doesn’t use electronic devices. She’ll have a courier plant something at the dead drop. Be ready. And don’t kill him,” Natasha warned him.

“Don’t usually go out of my way to kill people,” Oliver said dryly as he spotted the courier. “I see him. A few feet to my left. Early to mid-twenties, wearing a green shirt underneath a black leather jacket.”

From his vantage point on a rooftop, Clint spotted the man in question, training his arrow on him.

“I’ve got him,” Clint confirmed. “Make sure he doesn’t get away.”

Oliver silently began trailing the courier. However, as he rounded a corner, the courier suddenly whirled around and struck out. Oliver stumbled back as he was punched in the face and the courier took off. Growling, Oliver raced after him, suddenly thankful for being stranded on Lian Yu and the long hikes through the forest. It made it fairly easy to catch up with the courier.

Oliver tackled the courier to the ground and they rolled as everyone in the market stopped and stared at the sight. The two wrested on the ground for a bit before Oliver landed a blow to the courier’s head, knocking him out. Oliver searched the man’s jacket but, to Oliver’s horror, the envelope he had seen the man put in his jacket was gone.

“It’s not here!” Oliver cried out.

“Because he dropped it a few feet back,” Clint said, having seen everything. “Good job kid, you didn’t kill him. Nat, get the drop. Oliver, get the courier back to base. Not bad for your first assignment kid.”

SHIELD base  
Afternoon

“So, we went through all that trouble for a picture?” Oliver asked incredulously as he, Clint, and Coulson stared at what was in the envelope, a picture of a mountain that Coulson had enlarged on a holographic screen.

“Not exactly,” Coulson said and Oliver looked over at him. “Tell me Oliver, have you ever heard of steganography?”

“I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and say that it’s not the dinosaur with the plates on its back,” Oliver deadpanned and Coulson laughed as Clint smirked in amusement.

“No, it’s when you conceal a message within another message. In this case, within an image. Take a look at what we have when we strip away the mountain,” Coulson said, pressing a button.

The mountain vanished and they saw that, true to Coulson’s words, there was a message. Written in white letters was ‘contact Li Kuan Hui’. 

“Li Kuan Hui,” Oliver read. “Who’s that?”

“No idea,” Coulson said.

“But if the Triad is interested in him, it can’t be good. This is our first solid lead on the Triad, good job kid,” Clint said and something stirred in Oliver, something akin to fondness but he wasn’t there yet.

“What about the courier?” Oliver inquired.

“Agent Romanoff and Fury are interrogating him now,” Coulson explained. 

In another room, the courier sat across from Natasha and Fury.

“Tell us where China White is,” Natasha said and the courier scoffed.

“You don’t scare me half as much as she does,” he said.

“You sure about that?” Fury said with a glance towards Natasha.

Natasha smirked, pulling something out and setting it on the table.

“You know, before I was a spy, I was with the KGB. They taught me how to make someone break. I know how to break men that are much stronger than you,” Natasha unrolled the sheet to reveal surgical tools and the courier started to look nervous. “You can either tell us what we want to know, or you can tell us after I break you. Your choice.”

The Courier looked like was about to start talking when, suddenly, the building was rocked by a tremor. The three of them confused until Fury’s Comms went off.

“Sir, you and Romanoff need to get up here, now,” Coulson voice said urgently.

Not long after, Fury and Natasha entered his office to find Coulson, Clint, and Oliver, all with grim faces.

“What was that?” Fury demanded.

Wordlessly, Coulson pressed a button and a picture of a building, damaged from an explosion, was seen. Fury stared at it, one thought going through his head.

“Mother-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter had a lot of similarities to the show, but next chapter I’m going to start putting in some creative differences.


	4. Into the darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in the aftermath of the bombing, Oliver takes a few steps closer to becoming them an he will one day be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Philippe363 for helping me with this chapter

SHIELD base  
Morning

Fury stood before all his agents currently at the base. Emotions were running a little high after the bombing of a university yesterday afternoon. And Fury knew he needed to address it.

“As some of you know, a university building was bombed yesterday at 11: 52 A.M. We’re still looking into it at the moment, but I have a team out looking for who we believe to be the top suspect. For now, we go about our usual business. Get back to work,” Fury finished in a tone that everyone knew meant ‘get back to work’.

As the other agents walked off, Coulson walked up to Fury.

“Where are we on Li Kuan Hui?” Fury asked.

“Agent Romanoff is meeting a contact she hopes will give her information,” Coulson said and Fury nodded.

“And Barton?”

Oliver was in what was acting as his room, sitting at a computer. He was searching results for the bombing yesterday. Since he technically wasn’t a SHIELD agent, he wasn’t able to access the SHIELD database for information. This left him with looking through news articles on the attack. 

Oliver stopped as he came across an article on the victims. He stared at a picture of one of the victims, a young girl no older than Thea had been when he got on the Gambit. Oliver clenched his hands into fists, trying not to lose it as someone knocked on the door to his room.

“Hey kid, you decent?” Clint asked from the other side of the door.

“I’m good,” Oliver said blankly, staring at the picture of the girl.

Something Clint noticed as he walked in.

“You okay?” Clint asked.

“That girl…she’s not much older than my sister was the last time I saw her,” Oliver said with a shaky breath.

“Siblings, you always feel like you gotta protect them,” Clint said wistfully and Oliver looked over at him.

“You have siblings?”

“A brother. I don’t see him a lot, we don’t keep in touch. We just…went down different paths in life,” Clint sighed before looking back at Oliver. “Natasha is out meeting a contact who might be able to offer us some Intel on Li Kuan Hui. Once she gets the Intel, we move out.”

“What about the bombing?” Oliver asked shocked.

“Fury’s already got someone else on that. We have our mission, you need to let this go and let Fury handle this,” Clint told him.

“I don’t know that I can let this go,” Oliver said and Clint was quiet for a moment.

“I probably shouldn’t be doing this,” Clint sighed and Oliver looked over at him confused. “Get up.”

Confused, Oliver got up and Clint took his seat. Clint entered the SHIELD database and used his security check in. Finding what he was looking for, Clint stood back up.

“Here’s everything we’ve been able to put together on the bombing,” Clint said as he got to his feet. “Just exit the database when you’re done. And don’t do anything stupid kid. Because if Fury doesn’t kill us, Natasha will.”

Clint then walked out, leaving Oliver alone. Oliver quickly sat down and began looking at the information. SHIELD believed that the bomber was Katsu Chang, an explosives expert from the Japanese army turned traitor and terrorist. Digging a little deeper into Chang, Oliver discovered where SHIELD believed he was at the moment. 

Remembering the girl, Oliver’s hands clenched into fists. He got up and walked over to the other side of the room, where a duffle bag was lying on the floor. Oliver unzipped it and pulled out his bow and quiver. Putting on the quiver, Oliver reached inside the bag and pulled out Shado’s hood. 

Hong Kong  
Afternoon

A security guard was outside a building, standing guard when an arrow hit him the shoulder. He went down, groaning in pain as Oliver, wearing Shado’s hood and the quiver on his back, walked into the building.

As he entered, three men with guns saw him and opened fire. Oliver ducked, pulling out an arrow from his quiver and firing. The arrow got one of them in in the legs and Oliver rushed forward as the man cried out in pain. Oliver sent a kick to the man’s chest, sending him flying into the wall before grabbing the arm of another and throwing him into the wall, taking his gun in the process. Oliver then whirled around and fired the gun, getting the man in the shoulder. As the man went down, Oliver dropped the gun and then moved on, walking down the hall.

As Oliver down the hall, he saw two more guards. Oliver quickly opened fire getting them in the shoulder. As they went down, groaning in pain, Oliver approached them and knelt down next to one of them.

“Where is Chang?” Oliver demanded.

“Screw you,” the guard groaned.

Out of patience, Oliver grabbed the arrow and twisted, causing the guard to scream.

“That arrow is gonna hurt a lot more coming out than it did going in, trust me. Where is Chang?!” Oliver snapped.

“Down the hall, last door on the right. He’s got four guards standing outside,” the guard said.

Oliver let go of the arrow and stood up, walking towards his destination. As they saw him, the four guards standing outside Chang’s room pulled out their guns and opened fire. Oliver dodged the bullets, sliding across the floor on his side and firing an arrow. He got one of the guards in the shoulder, sending him down. Oliver then fired two more arrows, getting one in the shoulder but his aim was off with the second arrow. The arrow hit the guard in the jugular and he gasped for breath before falling on his back, dead. Oliver was forced to put his horror out of his mind as the last guard opened fire on him. Oliver dodged the bullets, getting up and rushing forward. Oliver reached the guard and, with a couple of well-placed blows Natasha had recently taught him, sent the man stumbling back before a kick to the chest sent the man flying into the wall. 

The man fell to the floor, out cold, and Oliver took a moment to breathe. He looked down at the dead guard and a feeling of guilt hit him. He pushed it aside, focused it into determination and stalked towards the door. He kicked the door in and saw an Asian man sitting at desk, staring at him calmly.

“Katsu Chang?” Oliver questioned and Chang smirked.

“I see my reputation precedes me. I’m afraid I don’t know who you are though,” Chang noted.

“I’m a concerned citizen who doesn’t take kindly to bombs,” Oliver sneered, notching an arrow and Chang chuckled.

“The University. Some of my best work,” Chang said proudly and Oliver’s blood boiled. “I suppose you’re here to kill me?”

“Maybe. Haven’t made up my mind yet,” Oliver sneered and Chang’s smirk widened. 

“But if you kill me, you won’t find out where the bomb is,” Chang mocked and Oliver’s blood ran cold.

“You planted another bomb?” Oliver asked weakly.

“That’s right. It’s set to go off in less than three hours. And if you kill me, you’ll never find out where it is,” Chang taunted him.

“You’re lying,” Oliver snarled and Chang shrugged.

“Maybe, maybe not. But can you really take that chance?” Chang asked and Oliver was silent for a few moments.

“Where’s the bomb?” Oliver demanded and Chang smirked.

“Why would I tell you?” Chang said cruelly and Oliver growled.

“Because I’ll make you,” Oliver growled.

“Then why haven’t you? Because you don’t have it in you. Torture, it’s different then killing. Killing is easy, but to inflict pain on someone, that is much more difficult,” Chang mocked.

Oliver trembled, not wanting to do it. But then he remembered the girl caught in the bombing that was not much younger than Thea and his resolve hardened. Oliver fired, getting Chang’s shoulder. Chang cried out in pain as Oliver stalked over to the other side of the desk.

“Where is the bomb?!” Oliver demanded.

Chang did not answer and so Oliver grabbed the arrow in his shoulder and twisted it, causing Chang to cry out, screaming in pain.

It was the first of many over the next several minutes. 

Ten minutes later, a blond woman in a black jumpsuit and the SHIELD insignia on the shoulder walked into the building. She looked at all the unconscious bodies as she moved through the building. She found Oliver sitting outside the door, appearing dazed.

“Mr. Queen?” She called out and Oliver looked over at her.

“Who are you?” Oliver asked gruffly.

“Agent Bobbi Morse, Fury had me on this mission. You compromised it when you came here. Chang-” Bobbi began.

“Planted another bomb, I know,” Oliver said, surprising her. “I know where it is.”

“How do you know?” Bobbi was taken back.

“Because he told me. Right before I killed him,” Oliver said shaken from his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you saw in this chapter, Oliver is starting to get closer to who he was in the pilot in terms of fighting ability and darkness, hence the title of the chapter. And he’ll continue to do so.


	5. A different lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury sees an opportunity with Oliver. Bobbi attempts to help Oliver come to terms with his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a transitionary chapter but I do hope you guys enjoy it.

SHIELD base  
Afternoon

“And the engineers on the team were able to disarm the bomb,” Bobbi finished her report as she, Fury, and Clint stood in Fury’s office.

“Understood. Well done Agent Morse. Now, I need to have a word with Agent Barton,” Fury said.

Bobbi looked over at Clint but he just gestured towards the door. Nodding, Bobbi turned and walked out, leaving the two alone.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Fury asked as he whirled on Clint. “Giving Queen access to the database? Have you lost your damn mind?”

“I was thinking that his head wasn’t gonna be in the game and that was dangerous. I gave him access to the bombing files because I thought he was gonna go bring Chang in. I didn’t know that he go as far as he did,” Clint defended himself and Fury scowled.

“I believe you. But the fact is, he did. And, without any training, he broke Chang. That’s not skill, that’s talent,” Fury noted and Clint’s hair stood on end.

“Hey, Fury, no. You made him a deal, he’d do this and then he was done. Don’t pull your usual shit with him,” Clint warned him and Fury eyed him.

“You like him,” Fury noted and Clint nodded. “So do I. But while he’s working for me, he’ll be treated the same as any other agent.”

In his room, Oliver was sitting on his bed, in a dazed sort of shock. Suddenly, he was brought out of it when someone knocked on his door. Oliver took a moment to compose himself before he spoke up.

“It’s open,” Oliver said.

The door opened up to reveal Bobbi on the other side.

“Agent Morse, right?” Oliver remembered.

“Bobbi,” Bobbi corrected as she walked into his room. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Why? We don’t even know each other,” Oliver said confused. 

“Because I know what you did,” Bobbi said and Oliver winced. “The first time I tortured someone…I couldn’t eat for three days.”

“What made it come back?” Oliver asked lowly after a moment.

“I realized that it was necessary,” Bobbi said and Oliver stared at her incredulously. “The information you got from Chang saved a lot of lives.” 

“I still tortured him before I put an arrow in his chest,” Oliver said shaken.

“He was a terrorist and a murderer. You did what you had to do in order to save lives. Your head knows that, but your heart can’t accept it yet. That makes you human,” Bobbi told him gently.

Whatever Oliver was going to say was cut off as the door opened up again. Bobbi looked over her shoulder to see Clint standing in the doorway with an unusually solemn look on his face. If he was surprised to see her in Oliver’s room, he didn’t show it.

“Bobbi,” Clint greeted calmly.

“Clint,” Bobbi said in the same tone before looking back at Oliver. “Just think about what I said.”

Oliver nodded with a sigh as Bobbi turned and walked out.

“You okay kid?” Clint inquired.

“As okay as I’m gonna get,” Oliver said tiredly and Clint nodded.

“Come on, Fury wants us to head to a nearby safe house. Bring your bow and quiver,” Clint ordered and Oliver was thrown by Clint’s changed demeanor.

“Why do you look like you’re taking e to an execution?” Oliver inquired.

“Just do it,” Clint said solemnly before he turned and walked out.

SHIELD safe house  
Later in the afternoon

“Okay, why did Fury have us come here?” Oliver asked fifteen minutes after he and Clint had arrived. “And what’s wrong? You’ve barely said a word since we got here. Usually you won’t shut up.” 

“I’m on your side in this Oliver,” Clint said and Oliver immediately tensed as Clint used his first name rather than ‘Queen’ or ‘kid’. “I didn’t want to make you do this. But Fury wasn’t budging.”

“Make me do what?” Oliver asked tense.

At that moment, Natasha walked in, escorting a struggling Asian man.

“Clint, Oliver, meet Li Kuan Hui,” Natasha said as she forced Hui into a chair, trying his hands and Oliver’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“He’s the guy China White was told to contact. How’d you find him?” Oliver inquired.

“I have my ways,” Natasha said vaguely as she stood up. “He’s not talking.”

“Okay….so why bring him here?” Oliver asked confused.

“Remember how I asked you to bring your bow and quiver?” Clint asked uncomfortably and Oliver understood.

“Fury wants me to torture him?” Oliver asked pale.

“He wants me to teach you how to torture him properly,” Natasha clarified. 

“You don’t have to do this kid,” Clint tried to tell him.

“You wouldn’t have brought me here if I didn’t,” Oliver said grimly before looking over at Natasha. “What do you need me to do?”


	6. A new partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armed with the knowledge of what China White is planning, Oliver and Bobbi attempt to stop her before it is too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly a transition chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it.

SHIELD base  
Late afternoon

“So China White is after a bio-weapon?” Fury asked as he, Clint, and Natasha met in his office.

“A Biotech company was working on a super anti-biotic; they ended up creating a super virus instead. They’re calling it the Alpha-Omega virus,” Natasha explained.

“It’s made up of two components, the Alpha and the Omega. The Triad is going to go after The Omega fist,” Clint said.

“Then we need to get it first. Did he tell you where it is?” Fury demanded.

“He didn’t want to, but Oliver made him,” Clint said and it was clear that he was still unhappy about what Fury had made Oliver do.

“He’s a quick learner,” Natasha said, no hint of how she felt about the matter on her face or in her voice.

“Barton, you may not be happy about it, but Queen got us the information we need. Where is he now?” Fury demanded.

Oliver was in his room, wiping the blood of his hand as he sighed shakily. The door to his room opened and he looked over to see Bobbi standing on the other side.

“Is this going to become a thing, you checking up on me?” Oliver asked only half joking.

“I’m not checking up on you. Fury wants to see you. See us both, actually,” Bobbi explained. 

“Of course he does,” Oliver sighed before getting to his feet. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Bobbi asked as she eyed him in concern as Oliver laughed humorlessly.

“In the past twenty four hours, I’ve tortured two people, which is two more people than I ever thought or wanted to torture. So no, I’m not okay. But…thank you for asking. And thank you for earlier,” Oliver said gratefully and she nodded.

“If you ever want to talk…I’m a good listener,” Bobbi offered and Oliver smiled tightly. 

“Thank you. Come on, better not keep Fury waiting,” Oliver said sarcastically as the two exited his room. 

A few minutes later, the pair stood in Fury’s office, the room empty except for them and Fury.

“As Oliver already knows, the Triad is going after a super virus with two components. You two are going after the first half, The Omega,” Fury announced to their shock.

“Why us, why not Clint and Natasha?” Oliver demanded.

“Agents Barton and Romanoff are working on locating the second half of the virus, The Alpha. I’ve got my two best field agents working on that, so I think my new consultant and third best agent should work on this together. Chances are, you’ll be working together a lot in this,” Fury said as Oliver and Bobbi exchanged a glance.

Hong Kong  
Night

A security guard is making his rounds when Oliver, in his hood armed with his bow and quiver, jumped down with Bobbi. Before the man can so much as move, Bobbi used her Battle Staves to strike the man and he hit his head on the wall, hard. He went down to the floor, out cold as Oliver looked at Bobbi, impressed.

“Nice,” Oliver said as she placed her weapons on her back.

“You get to the lab, I’ll deal with the rest of security,” Bobbi said and Oliver nodded.

As Oliver moved off towards the lab to get the Omega, Bobbi moved out towards the room where she knew security was. Security was pretty lax for something so important, Bobbi mused as she pulled out her Battle Staves.

Bobbi kicked the door in to the security room and six guards looked up at her, stunned. Before they could react, Bobbi rushed in, whirling her Battle Staves. She hit two of them with her weapons, giving them an electric shock strong enough to daze them. Pulling back, she then hit two more in the head, knocking them out. The four guards fell to the ground, leaving only two standing. They pulled their guns on her but Bobbi knocked the weapons out of their hands with her Battle Staves before grabbing one of them, slamming his head into the wall hard enough to knock him out. She then put the last guard standing in a neck lock, holding him until he passed out.

“Security room is secure,” Bobbi said as she placed the Battle Staves on her back.

“Good, I see The Omega,” Oliver said in the lab, walking up to the fridge with the container.

However, as he opened it, his blood ran cold as he saw that the container was empty.

“We have a problem, it’s gone,” Oliver said in dread.

“The Triad must have gotten here before us,” Bobbi said grimly as she walked up to the security footage, began going through it to figure out when it was taken.

“How’d she get here so fast though?” Oliver asked confused.

“She didn’t need to,” Bobbi said as she saw a man in a lab coat walking into the lab and getting it. “She already had a man on the inside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that is pretty similar to the show so far, but next chapter will have a big difference.


	7. An explosive lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Bobbi track down the scientist who stole The Omega, with explosive results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short and I’m not sure how long the chapter after will be, but after that, the chapters should start to get longer, promise.

SHIELD base  
Morning

“His name is Henry Yakimoto,” Coulson said as he briefed Oliver and Bobbi the next morning. “He’s been a loyal employee of BTHK Biotech for the last ten years. So unless he randomly woke up yesterday and decided to become a thief-”

“China White has something on him,” Bobbi noted and Colson nodded.

“Have Clint and Natasha located The Alpha?” Oliver asked and Coulson shook his head.

“Not yet, which makes recovering The Omega our top priority. We’ve studied his daily pattern and there’s an opening. He takes a cab to work at nine A.M. every morning,” Coulson explained.

“So, you want us to snatch and grab him, get the information?” Oliver sighed, already seeing where this was going.

“Oliver, this virus could wipe out thousands, missions of people. We have to stop it,” Bobbi said gently and Oliver nodded grimly.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like torturing people,” Oliver grumbled.

Hong Kong  
Later in the morning

Henry Yakimoto was on his way to his cab to work when, suddenly, he was struck across the head with something hard. He went down to the ground, out cold.

When he came to, he was zip tied to a chair, in a room he didn’t recognize. Oliver and Bobbi stood in front of him, emotionless looks on their faces. 

“Please, let me go. I’ll give you anything you want, just let me go!” Henry cried out fearfully. 

“Save your breath, we don’t want your money,” Bobbi said coolly.

“We want to know where The Omega is,” Oliver said.

Henry’s demeanor changed at that. Gone was the scared and meek man from moments earlier. His eyes were now that of a cunning genius and manipulator. 

“So, that’s what this is about, huh?” he mused.

“So you admit you took it for The Triad,” Bobbi noted and Henry let out a loud laugh.

“Oh I took it alright, but it was never about The Triad. They have it, but not for long,” Henry sneered and Oliver and Bobbi exchanged a confused look.

“You’re not working for The Triad?” Bobbi asked and Henry smirked.

“I work for someone much higher,” Henry taunted them.

“Who?” Oliver demanded and Henry chuckled.

“You’ll be too dead to care,” Henry said gleefully, confusing them.

Hearing something splat on the ground, Oliver looked over and saw blood near the chair. Hearing what sounded like beeping, Oliver understood Henry’s plan.

“Go, we need to go now!” Oliver shouted, pushing Bobbi towards the door.

Hearing the beeping as well, Bobbi turned and the pair headed towards the door. They exited the door a moment before the explosive went off. The force of the explosion sent Oliver and Bobbi flying and the pair hit the wall, dazed. They ended up on their backs next to each other.

“You okay?” Oliver asked and she nodded, wincing.

“You saved my life. Thank you,” Bobbi said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it,” Oliver said gruffly, looking back into the ruined room. “Do you think he was messing with our heads to stall us or was he being honest?”

“I don’t know. Either way, there goes our lead,” Bobbi sighed.

SHIELD base  
Afternoon 

“The Triad doesn’t put explosives in the wrists of their inside men. And if they did, it wouldn’t be one so refined that it could be activated by cutting into the wrist,” Fury noted as Bobbi and Oliver gave their report.

“So you think he really was working for someone else?” Oliver asked and Fury nodded.

“But that’s not a concern at the moment,” Fury said as the door to his office opened up and Clit and Natasha entered.

“You two have been busy,” Natasha noted.

“So have you. Did you find The Alpha?” Bobbi asked.

“It’s in one of the Chinese Military’s secure labs. It’s tracked with a GPS chip, so we’ll need to disable that before we get it out,” Clint listed and Fury nodded.

“Well, I trust the four of you will be able to handle it,” Fury said, leaning back in his chair. “We can’t let China White get her hands on the second part of the virus. Get the plans for this lab and study it, I want you all to know the layout better than your own homes before you go on this mission. I’m not understating it to say that thousands of lives are hanging in the balance.”


	8. The Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver, Clint, Natasha, and Bobbi make a play for The Alpha but run ito complications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, not a very long chapter but next chapter will be longer. I’m not sure when I will update again, but for now, I hope you enjoy this.

Hong Kong  
Night

“So, you know the plan?” Clint asked as he and Oliver walked over to the edge of the rooftop they were on.

“You know, I didn’t the first time, but after the last dozen times we’ve gone over it, I think I’m getting it,” Oliver said sarcastically. 

“One more time, for the heck of it,” Clint said and Oliver sighed.

“Natasha and Bobbi go in from the other side, take care of security. You shoot the glass on a window and I go through it. I grab The Alpha and we get out. Good enough or would you like to go over it again?” Oliver asked sarcastically.

“Alright wise guy, you’ve made your point,” Clint said before tapping the Comms piece in his ear. “Black Widow, Mockingbird, are you in position?”

Inside the building, Bobbi placed her Battle Shaves on her back, standing in a pile of unconscious guards as Natasha was at the computer, disabling the alarms.

“Alarms are down, go,” Natasha confirmed.

Oliver notched an arrow with a line as Clint grabbed an assault rifle. Oliver fired and the arrow hit the wall, creating a zip line. Clint took aim at the window under the line as Oliver used his bow to glide down the line. Clint fired, the bullet going through the glass as Oliver slammed into it. It cracked but didn’t break, leaving Oliver dangling hundreds of feet above the ground. In frustration, Oliver slammed his feet into the glass one more time and it shattered, allowing Oliver to enter the building.

“I’m in,” Oliver told Natasha and Bobbi over the Comms before moving out.

Oliver moved towards the lab, remembering where it was due to studying the plans of the building with the others. Oliver spotted an electrically locked briefcase and walked over. Pulling out a device that resembles a tracer, Oliver placed it on the briefcase. The device blinked, flashing red before it flashed green after a few moments. Oliver opened the now unlocked breifcase to reveal the vial inside. Reaching inside, he picked it out of the glass cylinder it was in and removed the GPS tag.

“I’ve got it. On my way to the rendezvous point,” Oliver said as he moved to walk out.

However, before he could, he spotted some men with assault rifles on a balcony, aiming at him. Oliver jumped out of the way, avoiding the bullets as he took cover behind a wall.

“I think our friends from The Triad are here!” Oliver shouted over the gunfire.

“No shit Sherlock! Nat, Bobbi, where are you?” Clint demanded over the Comms, grabbing his bow.

A scream was heard and Oliver poked his head around to see what was happening. Natasha was exchanging fire with the gunmen as Bobbi whirled her Battle Staves, taking on some of the gunmen.

“Go; get The Alpha away from here! Go!” Bobbi shouted at him, as she struck one of the gunmen. 

Oliver hesitated for a moment before he stood up and ran out of the room. He didn’t like doing it, but he rationalized that getting The Alpha away was more important. Besides, it didn’t look like Bobbi and Natasha were having too much trouble with these guys. 

As he ran out of the room, one of the gunmen was on his trail. Oliver took cover behind a locker as the man opened fire. The locker shielded him and Oliver then jumped out from behind it. He struck the man across the face with his bow before grabbing him by his jacket, slamming him against the locker. Oliver then threw him to the ground and notched an arrow, taking aim at the man.

“Please,” the man said fearfully.

Oliver doesn’t shoot, just stood there. The man stood up and ran for it as Oliver lowered his bow. 

“You didn’t kill him,” Natasha noted as she and Bobbi walked up behind him. “Why?”

“I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s get out of here,” Oliver said gruffly. 

Bobbi and Natasha exchanged a look but shrugged, deciding to trust Oliver had a reason…for now. The three of them walked down the hall, heading for an exit.

SHIELD base  
Later

“Mission accomplished everyone,” Fury said, holding The Alpha in his hand before looking at Oliver curiously. “But I am curious about something. Oliver, you let one of China White’s men go. Why?”

“Disappointed?” Oliver sneered, remembering how Fury had made him torture Li Kuan Hui. 

“No, just curious. Why’d you do that?” Fury inquired.

“Because I put the GPS from the vial in his jacket pocket,” Oliver said, surprising them. “He leads us to China White; she leads us to The Omega.” 

“Nice kid,” Clint said impressed.

“You know, you’d make a good SHIELD agent,” Fury said as he put the vial ion his jacket pocket. “But we had a deal. Once this is over, you’re free to go. Still, good work.”

Fury then walked out, leaving the four of them alone.

“So, looks like you’re going home soon,” Bobbi noted.

“Yeah…looks like it,” Oliver breathed, hardly able to believe it himself.

Washington D.C., the home of Alexander Pierce  
Same time

Alexander Pierce was sitting down, enjoying the quiet when his phone rang, disrupting it. Recognizing the number, Pierce answered it. 

“So, how is the operation going?” Pierce asked as he answered it.

“There’s been a complication. SHIELD got their hands on The Alpha,” the person on the other end said and Pierce frowned.

“Well, that’s disappointing. I don’t need to tell you that this needs to be handled,” Pierce said.

“It will be handled sir. One of their agents thinks he’s laid a trap for us. We will use that to get it back,” the person on the other line said.

“Good. I’d hate to have to send in The Asset to clean up this mess,” Pierce let the threat hang, knowing The Winter Soldier was more than enough motivation.

“That won’t be necessary sir. We will handle it. Hail Hydra.”

“See that you do. Hail Hydra,” Pierce said before hanging up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who suspected Hydra might be involved, well, you were right.


	9. Oliver's choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the mission to take down China White, Oliver is faced with a difficult decision that could have huge ramifications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long to update this, I was preoccupied with other stories and I suffered a bit of writer’s block with this chapter. But now I’m back. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

SHIELD base  
Afternoon

Oliver stood in the briefing room with Natasha, Bobbi and various other operatives, listening as Clint and Coulson went over the plan for getting The Omega and taking down China White.

“So, is anyone not clear on the plan?” Coulson asked and no one spoke up. “Good.”

“We leave in two hours. We don’t want this to end in a shootout,” Clint said, looking more serious than Oliver had ever seen him. “We want to take as many of The Triad alive as possible, especially China White. The Triad isn’t working alone, that much we know. Fury wants to know who they’re working with and why. But, if push comes to shove, be prepared to take out China White. I don’t want any deaths because of her.”

“Be ready in two hours,” Coulson said and they knew they were dismissed.

Everyone began to fill out, their minds on the upcoming mission. Oliver was lost in his thoughts, his mind on home. After over two years, he would finally be able to go home. He wondered how it had changed in that time. How Thea, Tommy, Laurel, and his mother had changed. How would they react to how he had changed, he wondered.

Oliver entered his room to get his gear. As he walked over to get his bow and quiver, there was a sound that drew his attention. Oliver looked over to see his computer come on. The screen then showed a man sitting in a chair, his features clouded in darkness.

“Oliver Queen,” the man said in a digitally disguised voice. 

“One, who’s asking, Two, how are you doing this?” Oliver asked, bewildered.

“You will get The Alpha for us and give it to us at a select location,” the man said and Oliver laughed.

“Yeah, and I’m also gonna become mayor. Why the hell would I do that?” Oliver asked amused.

In response, the man’s image was changed to footage from four cameras. Oliver’s blood ran cold as he stared at the footage. One was of his sister at home, on the phone in her room. Another was of his mother, at a restaurant, sitting across from someone he vaguely recognized as Walter Steele, his father’s CFO. The third was of Tommy Merlyn, his best friend, at a bar, talking up some red head. Finally, there was Laurel, sitting at a desk doing paperwork.

“You will comply or there will be consequences,” the man said as the footage was replaced by his image. “You have half an hour to get the vial or those you care for will suffer. We will be watching.”

The computer turned back off as Oliver stood there motionless, his mind whirling, looking for a choice that didn’t involve stabbing these people in the back after all they’d done for him. He quickly came to the conclusion there wasn’t. It should have been a difficult choice…but there was no choice to make. 

Not long after, Oliver was walking down the hall to where he knew The Alpha was being kept. He had his bow in hand and quiver on his back. He passed several agents on the way, who paid him no mind, assuming he was on his way to meet everyone for the mission. 

He made his way to the lab, specifically the cooling area where they kept their vials. As he was nearing the fridge, he heard someone step up behind him. 

“Mr. Queen, you are not authorized to have access to this area,” an agent said.

Internally, Oliver swore. He’d been hoping to get The Alpha out before being caught. Apparently, luck as not on his side this day.

“Mr. Queen, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the agent said.

With a sigh, Oliver whirled around and sent a powerful kick to the agent’s chest. The kick sent the surprised agent into a table, knocking him out. Oliver eyed him regretfully before walking over to the fridge. Oliver reached out to open it when an arrow hit the side of fridge, stopping him.

“Get away from the fridge Oliver,” Clint said, aiming an arrow at his student.

“I can’t do that Clint,” Oliver said as he turned around to face him. 

“Stand down,” Clint ordered.

“I can’t,” Oliver said regretfully, mentally assessing the situation.

Clint was a far better archer than him, he knew, and a better fighter. This wouldn’t be easy, but the lives of his family, Tommy, and Laurel depended on him getting passed Clint. He couldn’t afford to fail. 

Oliver reached into a quiver and pulled out an arrow at the same time Clint did. They each fired an arrow at each other, each dodging it before they rushed each other. Oliver sent a kick towards Clint but Clint jumped to avoid it. Clint then sent a spinning kick at Oliver’s head but Oliver leaned back to avoid it. Clint landed behind him and the two archers whirled around, their bows meeting in a clash.

“You don’t understand Clint, I need that vial,” Oliver said desperately.

“I do understand kid, but that doesn’t mean I can let you go,” Clint said calmly.

In frustration, Oliver pushed back and Clint jumped away. However, before Oliver could do anything more, he cried out as he felt himself be shocked from behind. He fell to the ground, dazed. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Natasha walk over and stare down at him sadly.

The next thing Oliver knew, he was waking up in cot, lying on his back. As he sat up, he winced slightly as he felt pain on his back.

“Nat’s Widow’s Bite hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” Oliver looked up to see Clint sitting by his bedside. “How are you kid?”

“How long was I out?” Oliver asked thickly, his mind racing.

“About twenty, twenty five minutes,” Clint shrugged and Oliver paled.

“Please, you have to let me go. I need The Alpha!” Oliver shouted desperately.

“Because your family, best friend and ex-girlfriend are in danger?” Clint said and Oliver stared, surprised. “Come on kid, Fury’s the spy. His secrets have secrets. You think he hasn’t wire tapped the computers in here? The moment you were contacted by whoever that was, he knew.”

“Then you know why I have to go,” Oliver said, getting to his feet but Clint placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing down until Oliver was sitting on the bed.

“Didn’t you just hear me? Fury’s the spy. He figured someone might recognize you, target the people you care about. So he was prepared,” Clint said, stunning Oliver. 

Starling City  
Same time

As Laurel Lance was doing paperwork, a man was sneaking up behind her, a knife in hand. But, before he could even get close, a man walked up behind him and wrapped a cord around his neck. The man gasped for breath as he was dragged out of the room. Hearing something, Laurel looked back but didn’t see anyone. Shrugging, Laurel got back to work.

Moira Queen was in a restaurant, on a ‘not a date’ with Walter Steele. In the kitchen, a waiter was putting something ‘extra’ in her drink when someone came up behind him. The drink was knocked off the tray, the glass shattering. The waiter looked up to see Maria Hill, dressed in a waitress outfit, smile smugly before she walked over and placed another drink at Moira’s table. Moira politely thanked her before getting back to her conversation with Walter.

At a bar, Tommy Merlyn was flirting with a redhead as, unseen to him, a man in a leather jacket was walking up to him. Out of everyone else’s view, the man had a knife in his hand. However, before he could reach Tommy, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by another man, a SHIELD agent. Everyone stopped and stared as the two wrestled on the ground.

“He’s got a knife!” the agent cried as the man pulled it out.

He attempted to stab the agent but, to his surprise, the agent grabbed him, stopping him. They rolled before the agent managed to disarm him. The agent kicked the man back and he landed on the floor. He started to get up before he was tackled to the ground by two security cards. The agent sighed in relief as he saw the man was handled.

Outside Queen Mansion, a man with a sniper rifle was taking aim at the windows of Thea Queen’s room. He was about to pull the trigger when he was tackled to the ground, losing the rifle in the process. He saw a dark haired man was on top of him and he kicked the man off. The pair exchanged a few blows before the dark haired man got behind him, putting him in a chokehold. He struggled for a bit before losing consciousness

Hong Kong, SHIELD base  
Same time

“Fury couldn’t have let me know that?!” Oliver asked angrily.

“Fury keeps secrets from everyone, you get used to it,” Clint shrugged and Oliver sighed.

“I almost betrayed you guys…and it was all for nothing,” Oliver said regretfully.

“Don’t worry about it kid,” Clint said as he placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “You made the only choice you could have made.”

“Would you have made it?” Oliver asked bluntly and Clint was silent for a few moments.

“I have people I care about, just like you,” Clint said and Oliver looked up at him. “Fury helped me set something up so no one knows about them. But if anyone ever found out about them and forced me to choose between SHIELD and them, I would choose them without a second thought. Just like you chose the people you care about today.”

For a moment, it was silent between them, both of them lost in thought.

“So, we have a problem,” Clint said and Oliver raised an eyebrow. “It’s not gonna take whoever tried blackmailing you long to figure out your family, ex, and friend aren’t dead.”

“So he’ll know he has nothing on me,” Oliver realized.

“At least for right now,” Clint nodded. “Nat, Bobbi, and Phil took the team and went on ahead to bring in China White.”

“Why’d you stay behind?” Oliver asked confused.

“I figured you’d react better hearing all this from me than Fury. I didn’t want you to take out my boss’ other eye,” Clint joked and Oliver laughed.

Suddenly, the door opened and Fury walked in. The pair stopped laughing as Oliver looked up at Fury. Fury stared down at him with an unreadable look on his face.

“I’m…sorry,” Oliver said, looking away from Fury.

“Don’t,” Fury said, surprising Oliver. “You were protecting the people you love. I won’t fault you for that. But we have a different problem. Things didn’t go as planned at the raid.”

“What happened? Is everyone okay?” Clint demanded, fearful for Natasha and the others.

“Everyone’s fine. They found an abandoned warehouse with no one inside. The tracer you planted was on the floor,” Fury said as he looked over at Oliver. “I doubt that you being blackmailed at this time was a coincidence.” 

“You think whoever threatened my friends and family is the one The Triad is working with,” Oliver realized and Fury nodded.

“They probably wanted you to get it and give it to The Triad on their way out of town,” Clint mused.

“Most likely,” Fury agreed.

“So now what? They still have The Omega,” Oliver pointed out.

“And we can’t let them have it. Fortunately, I have an idea about where they’re going,” Fury said and Oliver and Clint looked at them sharply. “I had a few agents try and trace the origin of the message you got. It came from Starling City.”

“You think they’re heading there?” Oliver paled and Fury nodded.

“Seems likely. Looks like you’re going home a lot sooner than expected Queen,” Fury said simply.


	10. The return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning home after two years makes Oliver realize the damage he has left behind as they begin tailing a target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here’s the next chapter. But, before we get into it, I want to go over something.
> 
> As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve added ‘Book one’ to the title of this. I did that because; after the resolution to the Hong Kong Arc, there will be a time skip of, at the very least, six to seven months. Honestly, it feels pretty jarring to me to continue to do the same story with such a time skip, so I’m going to end up breaking Oliver’s three remaining years away into three separate stories. It just makes it easier on me to do it this way.
> 
> Now, on with the show.

Quinjet, en route to Starling City  
Morning

As Clint flew the Quinjet, Oliver sat in his seat, lost in thought as Bobbi sat down next to him. She frowned before she placed a hand on his shoulder, almost making him jump.

“Hey, you okay?” Bobbi asked gently.

“I don’t know,” Oliver admitted with a sigh. “I haven’t been home in over two years. The last time I was there, I was different. I was a spoiled, selfish, waste of a person. I hurt my friends, my family, the person I thought I loved. And I never even realized until after I lost it all.”

“You don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” Bobbi noted and Oliver nodded. “It must be daunting to be coming back after all this time, after what you’ve been through.”

“Try terrifying,” Oliver said with a weak laugh. “I’ve thought of little else but coming home for the last two years. And now…I don’t know. It probably sounds stupid.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Bobbi quickly assured him, placing her hand on his arm. “It sounds, well, like you’re feeling like anyone would in your position. But…courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s acting in the face of fear.”

Oliver frowned, considering her words as Clint spoke up from the pilot seat.

“Hey, we’re here and going in for a landing. Welcome home Oliver,” Clint called back.

Oliver gulped, all his fears coming back. But he swallowed them as Bobbi reached out and placed her hand in his. Oddly, it made him feel a little better. 

The Quinjet landed in a hanger and Clint lowered the ramp. Oliver got off with Bobbi, Clint, Natasha, and Fury, looking around as he walked into the hanger. Truthfully, it looked a lot like the base in Hong Kong. 

As the group of five got off the ramp, they were met by two people: a dark haired woman with her hair tied back into a braid and a man with short, dark hair.

“Director,” Hill said politely and Fury nodded.

“Deputy Director,” Fury greeted before turning to the man. “Agent Dragon.”

“Director,” Dragon greeted respectfully. “Agent Coulson didn’t come back with you?”

“Coulson stayed behind in Hong Kong for the moment,” Fury said before turning to Oliver, who eyed the two newcomers curiously. “This is Oliver queen, although you two probably already knew that. Queen, this is Maria Hill, Deputy Director of SHIELD, and Agent Richard Dragon. They were both some of the agents I assigned to protect your sister and mother.” 

“Thank you, both of you,” Oliver said gratefully as he looked at them.

“Just doing my job kid,” Dragon said and Hill nodded in agreement.

“So, what do you have for us?” Natasha asked.

A little later, the seven of them stood in an office, a holographic screen showing China White getting into a car.

“China White arrived less than twenty four hours ago. We’re still trying to determine how she managed to enter the country undetected but we believe she’s here to auction off the Omega,” Hill explained.

“Wait, I thought the Omega was useless without The Alpha. Who’s gonna pay for a dud super virus?” Oliver asked confused.

“Rogue Nations, terrorist groups who think they can replicate the formula,” Dragon explained.

“Plus, they didn’t exactly figure we’d foil their plan,” Clint pointed out and Oliver’s eyes hardened as he remembered.

“Yeah,” Oliver said grimly. 

“Why is the buy taking place here in Starling City?” Bobbi asked curiously. 

“They have a corporate executive in town on the Triad’s payroll. I think Oliver might recognize him,” Hill said before the screen changed to show a man meeting with China White. “Peter Kang.”

“I know him,” Oliver said shocked as he got to his feet. “He works for my family’s company; he came over to my house for Christmas!”

“Which is why you’ll be going in. China White chose the place where you’re the most qualified to help us,” Dragon explained.

“I don’t think I need to explain to you that the mission will be compromised-” Fury started.

“If anyone found out Oliver Queen was alive,” Oliver said with an unamused look. “I’m not stupid you know. What do we do?”

Starling City  
Later in the morning

As Natasha placed a tracer on Peter Kang’s car, Oliver, in a hoodie with the hood pulled up, sat in a café with a clear view of Queen Consolidated, Bobbi sitting across from him as they stared out the window.

“The tracer is on the car and it’s on the move,” Bobbi said as she looked at her phone, displaying a digital map of the city, a dot signaling Kang’s car. “So, you’ve never been here before?”

“Why? Nothing worth anything in here. At least to a spoiled trust fund brat,” Oliver said bitterly.

“You know that you’re not that person anymore,” Bobbi told him gently.

“Doesn’t change the fact that I was. Or the damage I left behind. All the more reason to end this,” Oliver said and it was silent between them. 

“He’s here,” Bobbi said and they looked up as a car pulled up in front of Queen Consolidated. 

“Looks like he’s heading inside,” Oliver noted. “So what do we do now? Just wait for him to lead us to China White?”

“No, they won’t be stupid enough for that. The Triad will have The Omega at a secure location,” Bobbi said and Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Than what are we doing here?” Oliver asked bewildered. 

“Keeping surveillance, Clint and Dragon are doing the same thing from a different angle,” Bobbi explained. “We can’t hack Kang’s computer because it’s protected by a powerful encryption.”

“So what does that mean?” Oliver asked confused.

“It means you’ll need to get on to the Queen Consolidated Network. You’ll go in at night to prevent a scene and avoid the media circus that would erupt from finding out that Oliver Queen is still alive,” Bobbi told him.

However, she noticed that Oliver was no longer paying attention to her. He was staring out the window, a look of shock on his face. She followed his gaze to see he was looking at a teenage girl with long dark hair dressed in what she assumed was a school uniform. Obviously, Oliver knew her.

“Who is that?” Bobbi inquired and, after a moment, Oliver found his voice.

“That’s my sister,” he said lowly. 

Bobbi looked at Thea Queen curiously. She had heard of course that Oliver had a sister, but she’d never seen a photo. She was pretty, Bobbi noted, and seemed to have a chip on her shoulder. Losing two family members probably did that to you.

Bobbi looked back at Oliver to see him watching Thea with a look of longing and sadness. Her heart went out to him as she realized how it hard it must be for him to be so close and yet so far from his sister after two years of not seeing her. 

“There really isn’t much we can do right no. Would you like to follow her?” Bobbi asked gently and Oliver looked at her sharply.

“Fury-” Oliver started.

“Will understand. And if anyone asks, I’ll tell them that I took on a mission for stealth training,” Bobbi said and Oliver was silent for several moments, simply staring at her.

“Thank you,” Oliver said gratefully. “Thank you so much.”

“What are friends for?” Bobbi asked simply. 

Queen Mansion  
Afternoon

Oliver and Bobbi followed Thea in a car as she was led away in a limo. They stopped outside the mansion as Oliver and Bobbi watched from a distance.

“You okay?” Bobbi asked gently as she looked at Oliver.

“Last time I saw her, she was in Pig tails. Now she’s practically all grown up. I missed so much,” Oliver said in pain as Thea walked onto the property rather than heading inside. “Where’s she going?” 

Through the trees, they saw her walk up to two graves. Close enough to hear, but far enough away that they couldn’t be seen.

“Hey Ollie, dad,” Thea said in greeting to the graves. 

Oliver almost started as realization hit him. This was where his grave was, and his father’s. He felt like Tom Sawyer, watching his own funeral in that moment.

Seeing the look on his face, Bobbi placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to offer him comfort as they watched Thea talk to the graves for a moment until a man in a hat, looking to be a few years older than Thea, walked up behind her, calling her ‘Queenie’.

“Your sister’s boyfriend?” Bobbi questioned.

“I-I don’t know,” Oliver stammered, trying to control his emotions.

“You have my delivery?” Thea asked as she turned to face the man.

“Depends, you have any of that inheritance of yours?” he asked.

Thea pulled out some cash and he pulled out a packet of pills. As they traded items, Oliver realized with a sinking feeling that Thea had followed in his footsteps. Oliver was about to storm over there when Bobbi pulled him back.

“Remember, you can’t be seen,” she hissed in his ear. “I understand how you feel, but there is nothing you can do right now.”

“What the hell is this?!”

The two of them looked back at the scene to see Tommy Merlyn storming over. Unlike before, Bobbi needed no introduction. Tommy was infamous for his playboy exploits, not to mention being the son of Merlyn Global CEO Malcolm Merlyn.

“What are you doing here Tommy?” Thea asked annoyed as she pocketed the pills.

“I was about to ask Jordon here the same thing,” Tommy said as he got in Jordon’s face.

“Just paying my respects,” Jordon lied, not that Tommy believed him for a second.

“And so you did. Now you’re gonna say away from her, permanently,” Tommy said coolly. 

With a sneer, Jordon walked off and then Tommy whirled on Thea.

“You should be bringing flowers here, not looking to score drugs!” Tommy snapped angrily.

“What are you even doing here Tommy?” Thea snapped.

“I came here to thank you for my birthday card. And to tell you that my party tonight is twenty-one and over,” Tommy told her.

“Oh, I think we both know that’s not true,” Thea said coyly.

“Oh it is, as far as you’re concerned,” Tommy said in a voice that left no room for argument as his eyes softened. “You shouldn’t try and grow up to fast Speedy.”

“You’re not my brother,” Thea sneered.

“You’re right, I’m not,” Tommy agreed. “But I think about him every day and, for the first time, I am glad that he is gone. Because seeing you like this would break his heart.”

“It’s funny, Ollie seems to care more about me now that he’s dead than when he was alive,” Thea sneered before stalking off.

Oliver watched this, hurt on his face as Bobbi looked at him concerned.

“You okay?” Bobbi asked and Oliver let out a breath.

“No, I’m not,” Oliver said lowly before looking back at her. “Let’s get back. I need to finish this, so I can get back to the people who still need me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to stop it there, but that felt like a good place to stop it right now.
> 
> So, this chapter introduced this character of Richard Dragon. He is going to be an import character for the rest of year three and over the following two years. If you need to put a face to a name, picture Scott Akins.


	11. Born for this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver finds a message from his father as he and Agent Dragon work to find the location of the auction.

Starling City, SHIELD base  
Late afternoon

“So, where have you two been?” Hill asked as Oliver and Bobbi entered the room.

“Reconnaissance training,” Bobbi lied smoothly. 

Fury, Hill, Clint, Natasha, and Dragon all eyed the pair, none of them buying it for a second. But they decided to put it aside, at least for now. 

“So, I know I’m supposed to head into my family’s company, but what am I supposed to do there?” Oliver asked eager to finally end this and get back to his sister and mother.

“You’ll need to access the mainframe directly,” Hill started before Oliver interrupted. 

“I thought we couldn’t hack it,” Oliver said confused.

“And as the son of Robert Queen, you’ll still be on the registry. Not much point in taking a dead man off,” Fury said and Oliver nodded in understanding.

“And, in the event that you run into trouble, Agent Dragon will be going in with you,” Hill said as he looked at Dragon. 

“Why him? No offense, I just assumed it would be one of you three,” Oliver said as he looked from Bobbi to Clint and Natasha.

“We aren’t familiar with the layout of the building, he is,” Natasha said simply.

“That a problem?” Dragon asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, not all,” Oliver said quickly. 

“Good, then we can move this along,” Fury said as the meeting continued.

Queen Consolidated  
Night 

Oliver jumped down from the vent he had snuck through into what had once been his father’s office. As Dragon dropped down behind him; Oliver looked around with a wistful sadness. It hadn’t changed much, he mused as he walked over to the desk, pausing as he saw a picture of himself and Robert, taken just before that fateful journey on the Gambit.

“You okay?” Dragon asked as he saw Oliver’s reflective look.

“Yeah,” Oliver said as he saw the finger print scanner. “Found it.”

Oliver placed his thumb on the scanner and waited for a moment before he was granted access to the mainframe. Oliver then pulled out the crawler, the device that would allow SHIELD to see all of Kang’s activity. He plugged it in and waited for it to plant the trace. As he waited, he saw something pop up. A file that said ‘Robert Queen-Private’. Frowning, Oliver clicked on it and saw there were two files, one that said ‘for Oliver’ and one that said ‘for Thea’. 

Oliver clicked on ‘for Oliver’ and saw it required a download. Seeing a flash drive, he picked it up and plugged it into the computer.

“What are you doing?” Dragon asked but Oliver ignored him as he started the download. “We need to go Oliver.”

“I’m not done,” Oliver protested as Dragon looked towards the door.

“Someone’s coming,” Dragon said as he pulled out a gun.

“Don’t kill anyone, these people are just doing their jobs,” Oliver protested.

“Relax; it’s filled with tranq darts. I’ll just knock them out,” Dragon promised.

Dragon walked out and fired. He got a blond woman wearing glasses in the neck and she went down, dropping a file.

“Nice job, you knocked out a blond haired secretary,” Oliver said sarcastically.

“Better than her catching us, you’re welcome,” Dragon said sarcastically as he knelt down next to her, beginning to search her.

“What are you doing?” Oliver asked confused.

“Looking for this,” Dragon said before pulling out her wallet and looking through it. “Hopefully, this has a name or an address on it. We’ll put the file on the desk, you head back to HQ. I take her home, stage it like she decided to get drunk and that’s why she won’t remember getting home.”

“That’s…smart,” Oliver said lamely as Dragon pulled out an ID.

“Well, I am an agent of SHIELD. Now, while I get this...Felicity Smoak back to her home, you get back to HQ,” Dragon ordered. 

As Dragon picked up Felicity, Oliver walked back over to the computer and unplugged both the flash drive and the crawler. 

SHIELD base  
Later

“Morse,” Dragon greeted as he met Bobbi in the hall. 

“Agent Dragon,” Bobbi greeted neutrally. 

“Did we get anything useful off the crawler?” Dragon asked, straight to the point.

“We know the auction is in four hours, we’re still working out where,” Bobbi said and Dragon nodded. “Where were you?”

“Cleaning up your boyfriend’s mess,” Dragon said and Bobbi blushes, whether in indignation or because his words hit close to home, Dragon doesn’t know and really doesn’t care. “Where is he?”

“In his room, said he wanted to rest and to get him once we know where the auction is,” Bobbi said, not bothering to correct him on Oliver being her boyfriend.

A little later, Dragon opened the door to the room Oliver had been assigned. He and Bobbi walked in to find it empty, save for a laptop that has been opened. 

“Looks like he lied,” Dragon noted as he walked over to the laptop.

“But why?” Bobbi wondered. 

“I think I have a pretty good guess,” Drago said as he stared down at the laptop, which was open to a page about Tommy Merlyn’s birthday bash. 

Merlyn Mansion  
Not long after

Oliver, his face hidden by the hoodie he was wearing, watched from behind a corner as Tommy talked to a girl, obviously trying to pick her up. However, she walked off as Laurel appeared, saying something Oliver couldn’t hear over the music. 

Oliver gulped as he stared at them. Seeing Thea had been hard, but now seeing both Tommy and Laurel, knowing he couldn’t talk to them without compromising the mission, that was harder.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” 

Oliver almost jumped as Bobbi hissed into his ear. She placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him, although the tightness of her grip let him know just how angry she was.

“I had to-” Oliver started.

“No, you didn’t. Fury promised you could come back here as soon as the mission. As soon as there is an opening, we leave,” Bobbi almost snarled.

But Oliver had stopped paying attention, staring at the doorway. Bobbi followed his gaze to see Thea had walked in. They watched silently as Tommy and Laurel walked up to her. They exchanged a few words before Thea walked off. She bumped into Jordon and Bobbi felt Oliver stiffen as he handed her another packet of pills after she gave him some cash.

“You get out. I know how feel,” Bobbi said as she saw him open his mouth to argue. “I’ll deal with him. Trust me.” 

Upstairs, Jordan was walking down the hall when he saw a beautiful blond woman leaning against the wall. 

“Hey,” she said in a flirtatious voice.

“Hey,” Jordon said as he eyed her up and down shamelessly. “What’s a girl like you doing up here by herself?”

“Party’s pretty boring. For Tommy Merlyn’s birthday, I expected more. What about you?” Bobbi said careful to maintain a casual yet seductive tone she knew worked like a charm on low lives like Jordon. 

“Working,” Jordon said and Bobbi kept the disgust she felt hidden as she raised an eyebrow.

“Really? And what do you do?” Bobbi asked sounding like she was interested. 

“Let’s just say I’m an entrepreneur,” Jordon said in what he thought was a charming tone but made Bobbi’s skin crawl. “You interested?”

“Maybe after some…fun,” Bobbi said, beckoning him closer.

Jordon smirked as he walked over, like a moth drawn to a flame. He closed his eyes and leaned in. Just before their lips touched, Bobbi sprang into action. She suddenly kneed him between the legs, causing him to gasp as he fell back. Before he touched the ground, Bobbi grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward. She slammed him onto the floor face first, jumping on him as she twisted his arm back. By the groan of pain he let out, Bobbi knew that hurt. Good. 

“Now, I’m going to be very clear. Thea Queen is off limits, you do not sell drugs to her anymore. Do you understand?” Bobbi demanded.

“Screw you bitch,” Jordon groaned and Bobbi smiled.

“I was hopping you’d say something like that,” Bobbi said before twisting his arm and he cried out in pain. “There are seven different ways I could kill you without anyone knowing before you could even call out for help. But I’m not going to. I’m going to let you choose how much selling drugs to one teenage girl is worth. So you get to choose…with a little incentive.”

Bobbi then twisted his arm again and Jordon cried out as there was a sickening crack. Bobbi let him go and Jordon felt her get off him. Holding his now broken arm, Jordon sat up and saw Bobbi had seemingly vanished. 

SHIELD base  
Later

Oliver walked into the room he had been assigned, looking around blankly. Seeing the computer, he remembered the flash drive. Pilling it out, he plugged it in and pressed the file. Oliver was stunned when he saw his father’s face appear on the screen.

“Hello Oliver. I told myself that I was making this in case I died suddenly, but I wonder if it’s just easier to say what I have to say to a video camera,” Robert said with a sigh. “I’m not the man you think I am Oliver. I didn’t save our city, I failed it. I did something terrible and, in my efforts to make it right, I ignored my conscience and made alliances with terrible people. There’s a book, a list with all their names. I told myself everything I did, I did for my family. But that’s a lie, what good is a family without a soul? You can right my wrongs Oliver. You can be better than I was. You can save this city.”

The screen then went black as Oliver stared down at the screen, a mix of emotions as he tried to process this. 

“That your dad?”

Oliver nearly jumped at the unexpected voice, whirling around to find Bobbi standing behind him.

“How long have you been standing there?” Oliver asked, trying to calm his racing heart.

“Not long. Is it?” Bobbi asked and Oliver nodded after a moment. “Where’d you get that?”

“I downloaded it from the computer in his office last night,” Oliver admitted and it was silent for a minute. “Thea’s drug dealer-”

“I don’t think he’ll be selling her drugs in the near future,” Bobbi said with a smirk that made Oliver decide he’d rather not know what happened.

“Thank you,” Oliver said and paused. “Why are you doing this?”

“Being nice?” Bobbi asked with a teasing grin.

“You’ve gone beyond being nice, you’ve helped me see my sister again, you’ve covered for me, you did whatever to her drug dealer. Why?” Oliver asked wanting to know. 

“Because I like you,” Bobbi said simply. “And I remember how hard my first few months as an agent were. The things you do that you don’t talk about. How they take away little pieces of you until one day, you look in the mirror and don’t recognize the person looking back. I wish I’d had someone looking out for me the way I’m trying to look out for you, to remind me of my humanity.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said after a moment.

“You’re welcome,” Bobbi said simply.

She smiled at him and his stomach did something funny. But before he could think on that, the door to his room opened up.

“Well, what do we have here?” Clint asked with a smirk. 

“Nothing!” Oliver and Bobbi said at the time, flushing.

“If you say so. We have a location on the buy,” Clint said and they turned their attention to him. “It’s at an old steel factory owned by Queen Consolidated. You have to give China White credit, she knows something about irony.”

“You ready for this Oliver?” Bobbi asked as she looked back at him.

Silently, Oliver walked over and pulled out the green hood from his bag.

“I was born for this,” Oliver said as he remembered his father’s message.

Steel Factory  
Later

Oliver, his hood up with quiver strapped to his back and his bow in hand, stood next to Bobbi and Dragon on a railing overlooking the buy. Below them, China White stood next to Kang as she addressed the buyers. The trio were waiting for Clint and Natasha’s signal to make their move.

However, luck, as usual, was not on their side. Some of the guards had seen them and opened fire. The two dodged as Oliver fired, getting one of them in the shoulder. The element of surprise gone, Natasha and Clint jumped down, Clint opening fire with an arrow as Natasha fired off two pistols. Oliver, Dragon and Bobbi jumped down as well as it became a fire fight. 

As Bobbi knocked a man down with her Battle Staves, Oliver saw China White and Kang making a getaway, as did Clint. 

“Go, we’ll cover you!” Natasha shocked, shocking a man with her Widow’s Bite.

Dragon, Bobbi, and Natasha covered Oliver and Clint as the pair ran after White and Kang. They emerged from the warehouse as the pair drove off in a car.

“Allow me,” Clint told Oliver as he pulled an arrow out of his quiver. 

Clint notched it and aimed. After a beat, he fired. The arrowed sailed through the air and went through the back windshield of the car. It went through the seat and White howled in pain as it pierced her shoulder. She then lost control of the care and it crashed into a telephone pole. 

With White stuck and dazed, Kang emerged from the car only to come face to face with Oliver and Clint, each aiming their bows at him.

“So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Clint said as he noticed the case containing the Omega was handcuffed to Kang. “The easy way is you giving up and uncuffing yourself from that case. The hard way involves us cutting off your hand. So, how badly do you wanna keep your hand?”

After a moment, a moment longer than either of them thought, Kang uncuffed the case from his hand and held it out to them. Clint took the case before Oliver slugged Kang, knocking him out. 

“You did good kid, now you get to go home,” Clint said as he looked over at Oliver.

“Not yet. There are still questions I have that I need answers to. And I have feeling Kang has the answers,” Oliver said as he glared down at Kang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought it was stupid how Waller sent Oliver in alone. I mean, I get why it had to be Oliver to go in, but on a mission like this, you’d think she’d sent someone else in with him to make sure nothing went wrong. 
> 
> I never liked Oliver how decided to bail on Maseo. Oliver’s entire character Arc in the season one flashbacks was him going from a selfish playboy to him deciding he was not just gonna think about himself anymore. So his decision to bail on Maseo and the mission felt like a complete 180 that took him back to who he was in the season one flashbacks.


	12. Welcome to SHIELD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver interrogates Kang for answers as Hydra ties up loose ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story is coming to a rather abrupt end. I had a few more chapters planed but, for reasons that I will discuss at the end, this ended up being the conclusion to Book One of the series. First, I would like to thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favorited this story. I hope you enjoy the chapter and keep an eye out for Book Two to of this series.

SHIELD base  
Morning

Oliver stood with Clint, Natasha, Bobbi, Dragon, Fury and Hill as they watched the security feed of Kang being led into an interrogation room, his hands being cuffed to the table as a precaution.

“So, you think that Kang might have an idea about who the Triad is working with?” Fury said sounding skeptical.

“I know it sounds stupid, but he was working with the Triad for years, selling them secrets. Who knows what they told him in return. Besides, it’s not like China White is gonna tell us anything,” Oliver reasoned.

“Kid’s right Nick, she’d rather cut out her own tongue then tell us anything,” Hill added as Fury considered.

“He knows me, maybe that will make him let his guard down,” Oliver said.

“It’s the best plan we have right now,” Natasha added and Fury sighed.

“Fine, you’ve got five minutes. Make them count,” Fury told Oliver reluctantly.

Oliver nodded in appreciation before he walked out, on his way to the interrogation room.

“This should be good,” Clint muttered and Natasha and Bobbi each shot him a look. “Hey, you two saw what he did to Chang for just killing a kid who was the same age as his sister when he saw her last. If Kang does know who threatened Oliver’s family and friends, no telling what he’ll do to make him talk.”

As the door to the interrogation room opened up, Kang looked up and was shocked to see Oliver Queen, alive and wall, walk into the room.

“Mr. Kang,” Oliver said neutrally.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” Kang blurted out in shock.

“And you’re supposed to be a loyal member of my family’s company, not a criminal,” Oliver said as he sat down across from Kang. “I have some questions for you. Depending on how you answer, this might be very painless for you. Or it might be a lot of pain, depending on my mood.”

Queen Consolidated  
Same time

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Walter Steel said puzzled as he stared at his security executive.

“Last night, someone accessed the Queen Consolidated mainframe and downloaded a file,” the executive explained.

“I thought we’d made sure that the mainframe couldn’t be hacked,” Walter said confused.

“Because it wasn’t hacked. Someone accessed the mainframe through the thumb print scanner. According to the database, it was someone with Olive Queen’s thumb print,” the executive said and Walter stared at him incredulously.

“Oliver Queen has been dead for over two years,” Walter said.

“Which is what makes this all the more alarming,” the executive said.

SHIELD base  
Same time

“I don’t know anything,” Kang said.

Oliver then pulled a flechette out from under his sleeve and lunged for Kang. Kang closed his eyes, expecting a blow but the flechette was slammed down onto the table, mere inches from his hands.

“I don’t believe you,” Oliver said bluntly. “You’re lying to me, the same way you lied to my father. Someone working with the Triad threatened the most important people in my life! Start talking!”

“I don’t know who they are,” Kang began.

“But you know something,” Oliver accused and Kang flitched.

“Only rumors I heard, whispers among Chien Na Wei’s men,” Kang said nervously. “They say there is an organization in the shadows, one that has manipulated events and history throughout time.”

“What’s the name?” Oliver asked.

“I do not know, I swear. I’ve only heard them say a phrase, over and over again,” Kang said.

“And that phrase was?” Oliver asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Cut off one head, another shall grow back,” Kang said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. 

Fury, watching this, paled considerably. 

“Sir?” Dragon asked concerned as they saw this.

“It can’t be…it can’t,” Fury muttered as he walked off, to the confusion of everyone else. 

Hong Kong  
Same time

General Mathew Shrieve of the US Military was packing up frantically, knowing he had to get out of there quickly. Failure had not been an option and he had failed.

“Going somewhere sir?” one of his men asked as he walk in. 

“Yes, I have another assignment back home,” Shrieve lied as he picked up a briefcase. 

However, hearing the click of a gun, he turned his head to see the officer aiming a pistol at him. Understanding washed over him immediately. 

“So, they sent you to do it then?” Shrieve asked.

“We do not tolerate failure, you know that. You knew the consequences,” the officer said. “You were warned. We do not give second warnings.”

Shrieve dropped the briefcase and moved for the pistol he had holstered at his hip. However, the officer fired a single shot and Shrieve was hit in the head. He fell back, landing on his back. Blood seeped out of his forehead as his eyes stared without seeing.

“Hail Hydra,” the officer said as he lowered his gun.

Starling City, SHIELD base  
Afternoon

“So he just left?” Oliver asked as he sat in the meeting room with Hill, Bobbi, Clint and Natasha.

“I’ve known Fury for a long time, I’ve never seen him that spooked,” Clint said unnerved. 

“And we’re still no closer to finding out who the Triad was working for,” Oliver said glumly.

“We’ll find out. It’s what we do,” Natasha assured him.

“In the meantime, a deal’s a deal,” Hill said and Oliver looked over at her confused. “When Fury recruited you two months ago, he promised if you helped catch Chien Na Wei, he’d bring you home. Well, she’s been apprehended; she and Kang will be transferred to a SHIELD prison known as The Fridge. The Alpha-Omega is in SHIELD custody. If you want…you can go home.”

Oliver paused, considering. It was all he’d wanted since the moment he’d washed up on Lian Yu. Everything he’d done, everything he’d gone through over the last two years, it had all but to get to this moment. And yet… 

“I can’t,” Oliver said after a few moments, taking everyone back. “Not yet. Not while the people who came after my family are still out there.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Everyone turned to see Fury walk into the room, his face impassive.

“Everything okay Nick? You ran out of here like ab at out of hell,” Hill pointed out.

“Fine, at least for now,” Fury lied, not that anyone believed him.

“You realize we’re spies, right?” Bobbi asked and he smiled thinly. 

“Nothing I can tell you yet, but I’ll be hard to reach for a while,” Fury said before looking over at Oliver. “So, you’re staying on?”

“Just until I find out who went after my family and friends. And take them down,” Oliver said and Fury nodded.

“Good. Then you’ll need this,” Fury said, reaching inside his jacket.

Walking over to Oliver, Fury pulled out what looked like a wallet and handed it to Oliver. Raising an eyebrow, Oliver accepted it and opened it. To his shock, inside was a badge identical to the ones he’d seen Clint, Natasha, and Coulson pull out on occasion. The badge of a SHIELD agent. 

“If you’re gonna help us with this, you’ll do it on my terms. As an agent. Welcome to SHIELD,” Fury said, a smirk on his face as he saw the shock on Oliver’s.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Oliver said in shock.

“You’ve passed every required test for a level one agent. You helped stop the sale of a weapon that could have killed millions. You earned this Oliver,” Fury told him and Oliver nodded after a moment.

“Thank you,” Oliver said still in a bit of a daze.

“You don’t owe us anything kid, you did this all on your own,” Clint said, a smirk on his face.

“Welcome to the team,” Bobbi said with a smile.

Natasha just smirked at him but Oliver got the feeling she was struggling not to let a proud smile cross her face.

“So…what happens now?” Oliver asked.

“Glad you asked. I’ve spent the last few hours combing through all the data from Kang’s computer we got off the crawler and I found something interesting,” Fury said and they looked over at him. “Over the last few months, there have been some transactions between Kang and an unknown bank account. SHIELD tracked it’s origin to Russia.”

“Since when does the Triad deal with Russia?” Hill asked suspicious.

“They don’t…but whoever the Triad is working with might,” Natasha said catching on and Fury nodded. “When do we leave?”

“You don’t,” Fury said to her shock. “I need you and Barton on another assignment. It’s related to The Avengers Initiative.” 

Those words meant nothing to Oliver, but they sure meant a lot to everyone else, given how the room went completely silent. Before Oliver could ask what the Avengers Initiative was, Fury spoke up again. 

“Agent Morse, Agent Queen,” Fury smirked as if he liked saying ‘Agent Queen’ and Oliver rolled his eyes. “You two will be briefed on the specifics of your mission by your leader for this mission. You leave for Russia in four hours. Be ready.”

“Who’s our leader?” Oliver asked before someone walked in.

“Queen, Morse. You ready?” Dragon asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was going to do the Shrieve plot like in the show, but as I was planning it out, I just couldn’t picture SHIELD working with the military. SHIELD is not Argus; they didn’t regularly associate with the military prior to the Hydra uprising. So that ended up getting scraped and, honestly, it pretty much ends the story exactly how it would have ended with it, so not a big loss there.
> 
> Now, I’m not an expert on how big companies like QC work, but wouldn’t they have known that Oliver accessed the mainframe using the finger print reader? Like I said, I could be wrong here, but someone with as high clearance as Oliver, especially when he’s dead, accessing the mainframe should set off some red flags.
> 
> And now we leave for Book Two with Oliver, Bobbi and Dragon heading to Russia. Pretty sure you all know here this is going. Hope to see you all in Book Two when I get around to writing that one.


End file.
